The perks of the military unretired’

Sunday

Dec 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Senate Republicans looking to curry favor with the tea party right by opposing the budget compromise had to find something in that innocuous kicking of the can, so they lighted on a small cut to veterans retirement cost-of-living allowances. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire was outraged at the insult to these brave men and women. “How far we have fallen,” cried Lindsay Graham. “Have we no shame?”

I caught some of the debate on C-Span, and read some about it, but few accounts explained the full scope of this offense. Gail Collins helpfully explained the provision:

Suppose you joined the Army at 25. You can retire at 45 on a good pension, which is regularly increased through cost-of-living adjustments. Under the new budget law, those increases would be 1 percent lower until you hit 62.

If any other public employees were collecting their pensions while employed full-time in a second career, Republicans would be ridiculing them. Graham and friends are eager to cut the inflation adjustments for real retirees much older than 50. But that’s how they roll in Washington. And don’t worry: Democrats have promised to restore the pension money in a subsequent bill.

Rick Holmes

Senate Republicans looking to curry favor with the tea party right by opposing the budget compromise had to find something in that innocuous kicking of the can, so they lighted on a small cut to veterans retirement cost-of-living allowances. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire was outraged at the insult to these brave men and women. “How far we have fallen,” cried Lindsay Graham. “Have we no shame?”

I caught some of the debate on C-Span, and read some about it, but few accounts explained the full scope of this offense. Gail Collins helpfully explained the provision:

Suppose you joined the Army at 25. You can retire at 45 on a good pension, which is regularly increased through cost-of-living adjustments. Under the new budget law, those increases would be 1 percent lower until you hit 62.

If any other public employees were collecting their pensions while employed full-time in a second career, Republicans would be ridiculing them. Graham and friends are eager to cut the inflation adjustments for real retirees much older than 50. But that’s how they roll in Washington. And don’t worry: Democrats have promised to restore the pension money in a subsequent bill.